Tubby Calls Season a Success Thus Far

CHICAGO (AP) - Tubby Smith has a national title on his resume,and you have to go back almost 15 years to find the last NCAAtournament he's missed. His career winning percentage ranks upthere with Mike Krzyzewski, Rick Pitino and Bob Huggins. For Kentucky fans, though, it's not enough. Not even close. Kentucky is the winningest team in college history, andexpectations there are simple: Contend for a national championshipevery year. When it doesn't happen, things get ugly. Quickly. After two straight seasons of double-digit losses, criticism ofSmith has gone from under-the-breath grumbling to an outrightchorus. "In this business or any business, you know you've got criticsin every form, at every level," Smith said Thursday. "The onlyreason why you wouldn't have (critics) is if you go undefeated -and probably many are going to find something to complain aboutthen." Smith got a vote of confidence earlier this week from athleticdirector Mitch Barnhart. But the fact Barnhart even needed to giveone shows just how far out of favor Smith has fallen. The Wildcatslost six of their last nine games, and there's been speculation forweeks that Smith was on his way out. If the eighth-seeded Wildcats (21-11) lose to No. 9 seedVillanova (22-10) in the West Region on Friday, unhappy fans aresure to be calling for Smith's job. "I don't look at this year as anything but a success, to behonest with you," Smith said. "I don't necessarily have toreflect back on (past success), because I'm pretty secure andconfident in who I am and what we're capable of achieving." After making a name for himself at Tulsa and Georgia, Smithlived up to his considerable hype his first year in Kentucky,leading the Wildcats to their seventh national title. For fans whoworried there'd be a drop-off with the departure of Rick Pitino,who'd taken the Wildcats to the 1996 title and two other FinalFours, it was reassurance that order would remain in the collegebasketball world. Two years later, the Wildcats lost 10 games. Sure, they also wona share of yet another Southeastern Conference title. But this wasKentucky, and Kentucky teams don't do double-digit losses. Then it happened again the next year. And the year after that. Smith and the Wildcats redeemed themselves in 2002-03, winningthe SEC regular season and tournament titles, and earning a No. 1seed in the NCAA tournament. They made the regional finals in both2003 and '05, only to be bounced out by a lesser team. It was even worse last year, when the Wildcats failed to make itpast the first weekend. "I don't think I could ever imagine what it's like in Kentucky,to go through that," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "You hearall the things the media say. ... We heard that this is not atypical Kentucky team. It is. It's a very good team and a verywell-coached team. "I feel for him," Wright said. "I don't think there's anybodybetter in the country than Tubby Smith." That Smith can coach isn't a question. He has a career winningpercentage of .728, 12th-best on the list of active coaches. He'swon 20 or more games in 14 straight seasons; only Lute Olson (20)has done better among active coaches. He continues to attract some of the best talent in the nation toKentucky, including Jodie Meeks, a freshman who's averaging 8.5points and 21 minutes this season and had reached double figures inKentucky's last six games. But parity has taken its toll across college basketball, and noteven Kentucky is immune. Florida, Tennessee, even lowly Vanderbilt- they've all stepped it up, making the SEC even tougher than itwas just a few years ago. Smith doesn't make it any easier on himself, playing thetoughest schedule in college basketball this year. Besides theregular SEC grind, the Wildcats played UCLA, Memphis, NorthCarolina, Louisville and Indiana. "We realize the expectations the fans have and that we have,just because of the tradition at Kentucky," said forward BobbyPerry, something of an expert after four seasons in Lexington."Sometimes it gets tough, but we just block it out and say we'reout there having fun. We're out there playing basketball games. "I'm not the person to decide if it's fair or not," Perryadded. "He's our coach, and we're going to support him." Though Smith said Barnhart's support was nice - it helps fendoff other teams in recruiting, if nothing else - he didn't need it.As much as he enjoys coaching, he knows the ugly side of the job.If he ever needs a reminder, all he has to do is look around thistime of the year and see all of his friends who are out of jobs. His players have been able to block it out, too. After all, theyknew what they were getting when they chose Kentucky. They all did. "It comes with the territory," Smith said. "I think theyunderstand playing Division I basketball and playing at Kentucky,where you're going to be written about and talked about on aregular basis, that you've got to be productive on a regularbasis."

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